§221 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

Businesses such as packers, swine contractors, live-poultry dealers, stockyard owners, market agencies, and dealers must keep clear, accurate accounts, records, and notes that show all their business transactions and who really owns the business. If the Secretary finds a business’s records are not complete, the Secretary can tell that business exactly how to keep them. If the business does not follow those record rules and is convicted, it can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.

Title 7, §221

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Every packer, any swine contractor, and any live poultry dealer, stockyard owner, market agency, and dealer shall keep such accounts, records, and memoranda as fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in his business, including the true ownership of such business by stockholding or otherwise. Whenever the Secretary finds that the accounts, records, and memoranda of any such person do not fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in his business, the Secretary may prescribe the manner and form in which such accounts, records, and memoranda shall be kept, and thereafter any such person who fails to keep such accounts, records, and memoranda in the manner and form prescribed or approved by the Secretary shall upon conviction be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002—Pub. L. 107–171 inserted “any swine contractor, and” after “packer,”. 1987—Pub. L. 100–173 substituted “, any live poultry dealer,” for “or any live poultry dealer or handler,”. 1935—Act Aug. 15, 1921, title V, § 503, as added Aug. 14, 1935, inserted “or any live poultry dealer or handler” after “packer” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–173 effective 90 days after Nov. 23, 1987, see section 12 of Pub. L. 100–173, set out as a note under section 182 of this title. Liens or Security Interests Against Livestock; Interagency Task Force To Recommend Method of Providing Information to Purchasers; Report to Congress Pub. L. 95–409, § 2, Oct. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 887, required the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint a task force to recommend methods of providing information to purchasers of livestock concerning the existence of a lien or security interest against livestock and to submit a report to Congress not later than Feb. 1, 1979.

§221 Accounts and records of business; punishment for failure to keep